By the Cover
by chiptuned
Summary: X series. Axl was bored. Painfully bored. He was tired of this pointless assignment... So what happens when someone tries to stop him from getting the job done?


Disclaimer: All Mega Man X characters belong to Capcom.

* * *

He tossed another one into the air.

BANG!

Axl was bored. Painfully bored. He was tired of this pointless assignment. Likewise, he was also tired of all the training programs this base had to offer, and equally tired of being forced into patrolling areas where there were clearly no mavericks lurking around to boot. He would give almost anything for a mission, an adventure... Something... Anything!

Well, almost anything.

But definitely _not_ anything like the task he was in the middle of right now. Even the training simulations were starting to actually seem appealing now after being compared to his current assignment...

Almost.

He had grown tired of the current training programs. The AI (or artificial intelligence) of the mechaniloids seemed to have simply became too predictable for his tastes. Their attack patterns weren't nearly challenging enough anymore. Not for him. Of course Axl would never admit that this came from the experience of running through the training simulations numerous times to get to this point. He would not hesitate, however, to announce his ranked results to anyone willing to lend an ear once they became top-grade. The time and patience it had taken to get to this skill level...

Just the thought alone irritated him.

Although, what had irritated him the most was how at first almost everyone had regarded him a as a "reckless kid" no matter how hard he had tried to prove himself. It had taken so long for X to finally accept and acknowledge him as a maverick hunter.

During the time Axl had met X in person, X had temporarily retired and removed himself from the front lines. X resigned himself to working along with Alia and the others at the Maverick Hunter HQ to find more "peaceful solutions."

It was the worst possible time for him to try and join the maverick hunters.

X shot down Axl's request to become a maverick hunter in a flash with great distaste over Axl's exceptional enthusiasm toward fighting all that is evil.

_Sure I'd defected from Red Alert, which was technically full of illegal vigilante bounty hunters, but still_...

Ironically enough, such enthusiasm as Axl's could only be matched with X's polar opposite passion for his pacifist ideals. Hearing his long time hero, X, shoot him down like that was disheartening to say the least, but Axl never let that weigh him down for long. Even when X had continued to deny Axl's demand to become a hunter despite his heroic actions in fooling Sigma into a false sense of security right before taking the final blow against him in the Red Alert crisis, X had still stubbornly refused him.

In response to this, Axl had trained hard, and pushed through his many mistakes failures with astounding resilience. And the results showed. Over time, Axl finally got through to X, and received his approval. Needless to say, it didn't come instantly. Months of hard work, training-- through proverbial sweat and tears...

Ever since then, there were the Lumine and Redips incidents, after-which Axl often overheard himself being compared to the likes of X and Zero.

That alone was incredible.

If he were to travel back in time and speak to his past self, explaining that he would one day be regarded with the same light and respect as X and Zero-- The hunters he had idolized and revered so highly in the days he was still in a member of the Red Alert Syndicate...

He knew he would've been awestruck.

_Heh, but then again I always knew I'd make it to the top someday_.

Smiling faintly, he silently reminisced about the old days.

...

Abruptly he let out a groan, suddenly aware of his own dawdling. Axl quickly broke out of his reflective reverie by swiftly and forcibly shaking his head back and forth for a brief movement.

_Right, that's right, the faster I get this done, the faster I can move on to doing something else._

"Yeah, to something that's actually fun for a change!" Axl grinned and added aloud as an afterthought. He then picked up another object from the cart beside him, ready to throw it up in the air. Just like how he had done with the one before it.

But then he paused.

_The training programs sure are easy, and I definitely need something more difficult; but what I'm doing right now is much worse for sure_.

"What the heck have I gotten myself into this time?" Axl said softly to himself, chuckling lightly.

He was bored, miserably so, but to top it all off, when he had asked for something to do instead of training so he could to satisfy his itching trigger finger, (and quench his thirst for action and adventure of course)... To think he was given such a menial task to fill the time. Naturally he had complained, that goes without saying. But alas, his protests were to no avail.

_It's degrading! Maverick hunters shouldn't have to grunt work, not like this! Geez, as if filing digital reports after missions wasn't bad enough as it is. That's the last time I'll ever ask a navigator what I can do to help out. Humph! Next time I'll ask Signas for sure!_

Axl stroked the object he was still holding with his thumb absently.

_Well at least on the bright side the way I'm carrying out this boring job-- no, actually this is more like a chore than anything-- At least the way I'm getting it done makes things a little more entertaining_...

Axl lowered his hand hand again, preparing to throw the object into the air precisely as he had done a moment ago.. He gripped his gun firmly too, ready to blast the object as soon as it was airborne. And soon it _was_ airborne, its pages noisily flapping about as it flew into the sky.

"Stop!"

Simultaneously as the word was cried out, a blast also pierced through the air. There was no small explosion coming from the plasma shot striking the object that had been thrown, though. This time was slightly different. The sharp shooter had missed his target. It fell beside him with a resounding thunk.

The instant Axl had heard the sound of her familiar voice, he had whipped his head in her direction.

Grinning immediately as he recognized the voice of his comrade, he calling out to her, "Oh hey Cinnamon, what's goin' on?"

The white and blue armored reploid nurse soon finished running over and stopped beside him. She paused momentarily to catch her breath. Axl's eyes drifted lazily here and there taking in their surroundings while waiting for her to recover her breath. They stood together under an archway leading to one of the back entrances of a maverick hunter base.

After regaining her composure Cinnamon finally opened her mouth to speak, "Ah, I'm just checking up on kinds of plants around the outside of the base." Knitting her brow she added, "But more importantly Axl, what are you doing to those poor books?" While she spoke, Axl stooped down and picked up the notebook his shot had previously missed from before.

"Oh these?" He tossed the book in the air and caught in the opposite hand. "All the data from them has already been stored electronically, so there's no need for them anymore." With some pride he added, "Not just anyone can be trusted to dispose of 'em. They're highly confidential."

"But why you do such a thing?"

"Huh?" Axl's grin faltered slightly, baffled by her query.

Cinnamon decidedly brought her bottom lip forward into a pout at his apparent confusion, "These books, Axl! The reploids that wrote them must've worked so very hard on them! Just destroying them like this... It's just too cruel! How could you destroy them without giving them any consideration?"

"Whoa there! Without a doubt I can safely say that these notebooks are just data logs. Don't worry 'bout it... Apparently this particular reploid researcher can think and brainstorm more clearly when he writes stuff down on paper. Heh, it's actually kind of weird if you think about it, to keep handwritten logs like this. Reploids have no reason to use ink and paper, you know?" Without looking down at the notebook, Axl had been unconsciously flipping through the pages idly as if it were a flip book.

Suddenly he stopped and frowned.

"Now that I think about it, it's actually pretty obnoxious making more work for other people like this. Even if this isn't something I usually do it's still--"

"--No!" Cinnamon said interrupting him.

"No?"

"What does the researcher you speak of think of all this? I think it's cold-hearted to not consider the reploid's feelings."

Axl let out a sigh.

"I'd be surprised if anyone knew what the heck's going through this guy's head. I mean this screwball can't even be bothered with either entering his own research data into the database or bothering to get rid of his notebooks himself. That's ridiculous! Not to mention confidential documents need to be taken care of properly, so..." Axl swung his arms rigidly in frustration, "Geez! I swear, this guy's crazy!"

Distressed by his words, Cinnamon's blonde metallic hair fluttered rapidly. "Axl! That's not very gentlemanly of you!"

"Gentlemanly?"

"Yes, not gentlemanly at all!"

"Cinnamon!" he groaned in exasperation. "Don't you understand? His bizarre, stubborn nature's creating a lot of unnecessary work!"

"Don't tell me there hasn't ever been anything that you've put an enormous amount of effort into, right Axl? ...Something that you cared about to the point that you'd do just about anything to reach your dream? Wouldn't it crush you if someone took away the things that reminded you how hard you had worked?"

Axl had immediately thought of his struggle to finally become a maverick hunter. ...To become a SA ranked hunter, but chose not bring it up.

Instead he asked, "What does that have to do with the reploid researcher?"

Clasping her hands and closing her eyes lightly Cinnamon replied, "Wouldn't it upsetting to lose the same notebooks you toiled over, and put so much effort into? I can see why electronic copies are needed, but there can't possibly be any reason to get rid of the hard copies. Surely if you were him, you'd be discouraged if someone was destroying something you'd spent days of your precious time on, wouldn't you?"

"I--"

Cinnamon cut him off, "--Somehow I just know that it brings the researcher great pain knowing that his work is being destroyed like this."

"But there's a digital copy of it all, so his work isn't lost"

"That's true, but these precious notebooks represent a part of the combined fruits of his labor. What you're doing is... It's terrible, a tragedy! I cannot allow you to destroy any more of them!"

"But it's an order, Cinnamon. I gotta get rid of 'em otherwise it's insubordination. You want me to get in trouble? Even for someone like me, insubordination is--- Hey! Watch it!!!"

"Ahhh!!!"

"Ugh!"

Cinnamon had tried to pry the notebook from Axl's hands; and with a sudden jerking motion Axl had successfully retrieved it... But he had evidently let his impatience get to him because the amount of force he had applied had also sent Cinnamon toppling forward straight into him.

In fact, her collision had been so forceful that it sent both reploids tumbling clumsily down onto the floor.

Axl wriggled underneath her, unable to both escape while continuing to do his best to keep the book from her clutches at the same time. "Please get off Cinnamon, I gotta get this dumb job over with!"

"I can't let you!" She cried, redoubling her attempts to snatch it back. "Not if you're going to damage any more of those unfortunate books!"

Suddenly the heavy metallic door nearby slide wide open, revealing a crimson reploid in its doorway.

...

Upon seeing the state the two reploids before him were in, Zero's usual scowl was instantly replaced by a smirk.

"Oh! Mr. Zero!" Cinnamon greeted him cheerfully, seemingly forgetting about what was being discussed moments earlier due to Zero's sudden appearance. She scrambled to her feet. Axl followed suit, speedily clambering to his feet as well, book in hand.

Zero nodded once firmly in return, acknowledging her greeting.

He then turned to Axl.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I kids?"

"Eh? Wha--" Cinnamon started, but Axl cut her off.

"--Zero, it's not like that." Axl replied as calmly as he could, but his rising irritation was plain as day, evident by the tone of his voice. The smug look on his partner's face wasn't helping either. It only served to aggravate Axl more and more by each passing moment.

Cinnamon tilted her head obviously puzzled by both of her companions' choice of words.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say buddy. Anyway, you finished with that assignment you got earlier? Wanna patrol with me? Already asked X, but the guy's stuck with a bunch of electronic paperwork. Hmph, only a guy like X would rather do something as tedious as that then getting outta the base for a while. Not me, I'm sick of being cooped up inside all week."

Zero's offer came as such a surprise to Axl that it caused his annoyance with him to abruptly subside. "Don't you usually just go with some of the hunters from your own unit? It's kind of overkill for me or X to tag along with you during your routinely rounds. Hmm now that I think of it, going with guys from the 0th unit's overkill too. I mean it's_ only_ patrolling."

"It gets boring."

"Ah, touché. I know that feeling."

"Well come on then Axl, you're never gonna finish if you don't pick up the pace," Zero said with increasing impatience, motioning at the pile of books still piled on the cart. "Better yet, just bring them over to the mess hall."

"The mess hall?" Axl paused a briefly moment, contemplating his comrade's words. "Oh! You think I should use the old incinerator to finish the job?"

"You catch on quickly." Zero replied, blunt as ever.

"Why don't they just recycle everything?" Cinnamon interjected.

...

Both veteran hunters exchanged glances, then stared at her.

"Actually, I never really got that either..." Axl said looking back at Zero.

Zero offered no reply himself and instead simply pressed on to say, "C'mon don't keep me waiting all day Axl, let's go!"

_Finally! A chance to do exciting! Since Zero seems just as bored as me, I might even be able to convince him into a little contest, bet, or something to liven things up. To make things around here a little more amusing._

The thought alone caused Axl to beam as he considered the possibilities. He looked over at Cinnamon. Her downcast eyes along with the shuffling of her hands and feet clearly showed she didn't share the same eager sentient. Axl then gave a quick look at back Zero, who didn't seem to notice Cinnamons apparent unease.

_How typical_. _Zero still has the nerve to call me naive, yet look at him. Apathetic as ever. No wait, I take it back. Zero does have emotions, but that only includes a nasty temper, stubbornness, and impatience._

Axl opened his mouth to comment on the matter, but then closed it.

_Ah well, Zero will be Zero. He has his good points too, like his unwavering resolve, his skill in battle--_

"You comin'?" Zero persisted.

Axl shot a glance at Cinnamon again and then returned his gaze back to Zero again.

_I can't just leave her like that, I gotta straighten things out first._

"Ill catch up later, go on ahead without me."

Zero studied Axl's face carefully, but soon turned to leave. As the sliding door closed behind him he added, "Don't keep me waiting too long."

"As if I would!" Axl shouted back offended, though he wasn't sure if Zero had heard him after the door closed.

...

"Aw whatever..."

Axl looked back at Cinnamon. Her gaze lifted to meet his own. Neither of them spoke. In truth, Cinnamon's gaze spoke for itself, her large eyes shone brightly, filled with concern.

He looked away.

In the direction Axl had looked, his eyes fell on the cart of books. The moment he saw them he wanted to look elsewhere right away, but his eyes seemed to be glued to the spot. Axl's eye did move, however, when he heard the clank of a boot as Cinnamon stooped down to pick something up.

Axl unconsciously gripped his hand tighter around the book from earlier.

More clanking followed without delay. The sound of her mental boots reverberating under the archway as she stepped closer.

"H-Here you go. I'm um, I'm sorry Axl... I guess I sorta snapped there, huh?" She playfully tapped a fist against her forehead, closed an eye, and stuck out her tongue.

In her other outstretched hand was Axl's gun. He recalled that during their little scuffle, Cinnamon had unintentionally knocked it out of his grip while he was busy trying to protect the notebook.

"I know it's your job to do this, and I wouldn't want to get you in trouble, so..." Cinnamon said sheepishly.

"No."

"Eh? What do you mean Axl?"

"I mean... You don't need to apologize, I think I understand now."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I know what it's like to work hard towards something... In my case, there's nothing tangible for me to prove that I've made it this far... Except the abilities and DNA I've collected."

"Axl..."

"Sometimes I feel like... That I wish there _was_ something tangible besides just records and such. At times I feel that all I have are the battle scars to prove it." He forced a small laugh and looked up at the sky before continuing, "But even then those are patched up-- Almost as if it never happened... There are times I have to keep reminding myself it wasn't all just a dream. I wonder... Am I the only one who thinks this way?"

Placing a hand on his shoulder Cinnamon said gently, "It's ok Axl. Everyone has their share of doubts whether or not they care to admit it, even if it's just admitting it to themselves. Just be aware that you've got friends that think the world of you. Everyone knows about your accomplishments. You _are_ famous after all. Hehe I bet your name alone even strikes fear into the souls of lots of mavericks. You one very courageous reploid, don't ever forget that."

His tense frame relaxed, "Thanks Cinnamon."

"You're welcome Axl."

"Well what're we waiting for then?" He grabbed the cart with one hand, and Cinnamon's hand in the other, smiling mischievously.

Infectiously, this caused her to smile too.

"Let's make things right, Cinnamon. Let's find that researcher!" Axl said punching the air.

She nodded excitedly.

Just as they disappeared into the building with the doors sliding tightly shut behind them, Axl mused to himself:

_Looks like I'll get to go on an adventure after all._

_.  
_

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A/N: I know I rambled quite a bit about Axl, but I can't help it! orz It's just that he's just so lovable, and darn it he needs more love in the fan community. In all seriousness, I mainly wanted to characterize just how bored Axl was. When you're bored, your mind wanders. In Axl's case, his mind wandered from how boring the training simulators were to reminiscing about how far he's come since his days in Red Alert. Not to mention it all ties into the ending when Cinnamon gets Axl to empathize with the researcher. It's all connected, I swear! XD;

Also, I find it funny how Axl was trusted to destroying confidential documents, yet was getting rid of them in the most unorthodox method possible. He would've definitely gotten reprimanded if anyone knew what he had done. Haha Zero didn't seem to really care that Axl was blatantly disregarding the proper the protocol either.

Another funny note is how Cinnamon only goes after the book that Axl's holding despite the fact that there's a whole pile of notebooks nearby. Although I changed her personality a bit so she's appears more mature, I still tried to keep her pretty silly.

Anyways this fic was intended to be a one-shot, but I may change my mind. I hope you enjoyed reading!


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